


Sections of the Dark Margin

by bleedinglight



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Dark Margin, Deleted Scenes, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:47:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22328080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bleedinglight/pseuds/bleedinglight
Summary: Scenes of what could happen during the Dark Margin.
Relationships: Aqua & Riku (Kingdom Hearts), Riku Replica & Vanitas (Kingdom Hearts)
Kudos: 9





	1. Aqua

The Dark Margin was quiet, the hushed sound of waves crashing against the shore. The only light that illuminated the place was the bright silver of what resembled a moon. In an eerie way, it was beautiful. Even with the darkness surrounding them, even when it felt as if sitting on these shores brought about a strange feeling of dread and calm, it felt as if they could truly feel at peace.

For years, Aqua had spent time on these dark shores. Nothing but an evanescent light to keep her company. There were times when a man in a dark robe would join her, but like these waves, he tended to come and go. No one ever really stayed in the Dark Margin before—at least, not as long as she had. If they did, then she had never seen them. This world of darkness had a way of trying to oppress her, leaving her breathless in her panic and filled with thoughts that would make Master Eraqus disappointed in her.

The silence engulfed her.

Sitting on these shores was the only respite she could get after endless hours of fighting. Too many times had she fought against numerous Heartless that only seemed to spawn from even the darkest corners of this realm. Too many times had she had to convince herself from letting these same creatures engulf her completely. It would be so _easy_ to let go. To let herself drown in these very waters that only ever appeared on these shores. Once, she tried to swim to that light in the distance, but too many times did she find herself struggling to breathe when the light grew out of her reach. It felt impossible to grasp that light in her hands.

As if the light was taunting her, knowing that the hope she was clinging to turned out to be nothing.

She wanted to let herself sink.

Even the sand didn’t feel as cool anymore against her skin. In a way, it felt as if she had grown numb during the years she spent here. Her light was struggling to remain when nothing but despair tried to latch onto her. Her memories were slowly splitting at the seams, fragmenting apart until nothing but shattered glass was splintered at her feet. Briefly, she wondered if this was how Ventus felt when he woke up with no memories of his own. How terrifying it felt to not know who you were before and not knowing where those lost memories would go. She tried hard to cling to her memories. She tried hard not to lose what defined her as a “person”.

Was she even a person anymore?

Before her, the waves beckoned. It promised a relief from the darkness threatening to drown her.

She wanted to drown.

She didn’t want to _think_ anymore.

All she wanted to do was… _let go_.


	2. Riku

How many times had he come to this place?

No matter how many times he set foot on the shores of the Dark Margin, it was never easier. He can feel the darkness stroking against his skin, greeting him as one would greet a lover. It tried to breach into his heart like it did once when he was younger, _stupider_ than he was now. Blinded by his own arrogance and walking down a road that would have led him further into the darkness had he not chosen to walk the path to dawn. Briefly, Riku wondered how his life would have fared if he hadn’t chosen the path he did. Would he be one of the vessels for Xehanort? Or would have Aqua been released from her prison in this darkness, able to walk in the light while he took her place?

There were so many questions.

He knew that no matter what, it wouldn’t have changed anything in the end.

He looked at the waves.

Last time he was here, he came with Sora. Both of them believed to be trapped after returning their friends to the Realm of Light. They were content to stay on these same shores, content on watching the waves rise and fall as long as they had each other. In the end, it was the light of their friends that guided them back. They were brought home—

But Aqua stayed.

Aqua was stuck.

Riku knew he owed it to her for helping him leave this place the first time around. He vaguely remembered her. Blue hair that resembled the deepness of the ocean and eyes that were kind and held a strength similar to Kairi’s. He wondered now where she was.

He stepped onto the dark sands, letting the waves lap at his boots as he stared out at the waters. All paths eventually led to this place. The final destination. A place where one would be forced to stare at the light far out of their reach with nothing but the waves as company. The silence was deafening and he wondered how well Aqua must have fared for enduring this for so long. He frowned, practically glaring at the waters.

No matter what, Riku needed to save Aqua from the darkness before it sank its claws into her. He knew how terrifying it could be. Being alone. Being in the darkness alone. Riku made it out because he had his friends searching for him, trying their best to reach out to him no matter how lost he became, but Aqua didn’t have anyone. Terra was in Xehanort’s clutches and Ventus was lost in a sleep with his body nowhere to be found. But Riku believed as he stared at the waters, believed that he can bring her back.

The Dark Margin won’t be where her story will end.

He just needed to find her first.


	3. Riku Replica & Vanitas

It became common for them to spar— _fight_ —on these dark shores.

With nowhere else to go, no one else to turn to, all they had was each other for company. Neither of them quite liked that. One was exasperated, tired of the fighting while the other was just _angry_ , fuming at his loss of what would have been his final resting place. But shadows had to go somewhere and both of them eventually found themselves on the shores of the Dark Margin. Two shadows of two lights that didn’t know they were still alive.

Vanitas _hated_ him.

Hated this stupid lookalike of that annoying silver haired teen. Hated how he tried to approach him, trying to form some kind of _friendship_ with him as if it would make everything better. He even hated his stupid outfit because _excuse you_ , that was his outfit first and he didn’t appreciate people copying him. There were enough copies in the world. There can be only _one_. But fighting someone for eternity in a realm where there was nowhere to go eventually grew tiring. Even if they were just shadows, they were as real as their lights in this place. Bodies grew weary and sluggish if they exerted themselves too much.

Other times, they would sit on these shores and talk.

The wannabe talked about a girl named Naminé. A girl who resembled more like Ventus but held the same innocence and determination as Kairi. The “witch” as nicknamed by Marluxia and Larxene from their time in Castle Oblivion. He talked about how he sacrificed getting his own body so that she had a way of coming back. It was so sickeningly sweet that Vanitas swore he was getting cavities from it.

Vanitas never said anything about his own life. He didn’t want to. He was content on letting the wannabe talk about his life or lack thereof. Rather, Vanitas preferred standing on the shore where water crashed against sand, staring up at the endless abyss of darkness above them. The talking filled in the silence, but it was easy to get lost in words when his own thoughts were muddled. They didn’t really have anyone but each other, after all. Not even exploring the Realm of Darkness provided much entertainment anymore and for a moment, Vanitas wondered if he really could go on living like this. It was annoying, staying here.

The wannabe didn’t seem concerned, content on being stuck in this world, on this shore where they belonged. Where the light met the darkness, no matter how faint it was.

“I miss her, you know. I wish I could have talked to her again.”

“…That’s a stupid wish.”

“It’s still something. What else is there to do?”

Vanitas didn’t say anything, sitting with one knee pulled up to his chest.

The wannabe peered at him. “Is there anyone that you miss?”

For a moment, he thought of blond hair and eyes as bright as the sea. For a moment, he thought of a warmth he longed for once but knew wasn’t possible.

“No. Not anyone.”

The other looked at him doubtfully, but continued on, talking about this or that and letting the chatter fill the silence between them.

**Author's Note:**

> This was commissioned for a dear friend of mine!


End file.
